Petrol Levy Hike Slams the Poor, Luxury Drivers Laughing to the Bank

The federal government just unleashed a gut punch on the little guy, cranking the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) on regular petrol to a brutal Rs70 per liter—while tossing a cushy Rs50 per liter bone to high-octane guzzlers, the playground of smug luxury car owners. Motorcyclists and beat-up car drivers? They’re choking on the fumes of this tax hike, while the rich cruise by with a smirk.

High-speed diesel’s slapped with the same Rs70 per liter hit as regular petrol, no mercy there. Before this, the PDL on petrol sat at a stiff Rs60 per liter—then, in the March 15 price review, they rammed it up by another Rs10. Why? To scrape together cash and slash electricity bills by a measly Rs1.50 per unit, or so they claim.

Prime Minister Imran Khan strutted out to announce the new fuel prices, swearing they’ll hold steady so the “savings” trickle down to the masses via cheaper power. Yeah, right—tell that to the biker sweating bullets at the pump while some posh SUV owner fuels up on the cheap.

This levy spike’s ripped open a glaring wound: the government’s playing favorites, coddling the wealthy elite while grinding everyday folks—especially motorcyclists who live on petrol—into the dirt. Fuel costs are already a chokehold on the public, and now this lopsided tax mess has everyone raging about who’s really getting relief and who’s just getting screwed. The government’s tightrope act between petrol prices and energy promises? It’s looking more like a noose for the average Pakistani.